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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 142 (Wednesday, July 24, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44619-44620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17782]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No: FAA-2013-0649]

Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) Airman Testing 
Standards and Training Working Group (ATSTWG)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Request for Comment

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of additional draft 
Airman Certification Standards (ACS) documents developed by the ATSTWG 
for the authorized instructor certificate, the private pilot 
certificate and the instrument rating. These documents are available 
for public review, download, and comment.

DATES: Send comments on or before August 23, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2013-0649 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
     Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. 
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room 
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket 
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at (202) 493-2251.
    Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without 
change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the 
docket Web site, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all 
comments received into any FAA dockets, including the name of the 
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an 
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
http://www.regulations.gov at any time. Follow the online instructions 
for accessing the docket or Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the 
West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Van L. Kerns, Manager, Regulatory 
Support Division, FAA Flight Standards Service, AFS 600, FAA Mike 
Monroney Aeronautical Center, P.O. Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK 73125; 
telephone (405) 954-4431, email van.l.kerns@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On August 30, 2012, the ARAC Executive Committee accepted the FAA's 
assignment of a new task arising from recommendations of the Airman 
Testing Standards and Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). The 
ARC recommended ways to ensure that the FAA's airman testing and 
training materials better support reduction of fatal general aviation 
accidents. The new task instructed the ARAC to integrate aeronautical 
knowledge and flight proficiency requirements for the private pilot and 
flight instructor certificates and the instrument rating into a single 
ACS document for each type of certificate and rating; to develop a 
detailed proposal to realign FAA training handbooks with the ACS 
documents; and to propose knowledge test item bank questions consistent 
with the integrated ACS documents and the principles set forth in the 
ARC's recommendations.
    The FAA announced the ARAC's acceptance of this task through a 
Federal Register Notice published on September 12, 2012 [77 FR 56251]. 
This Notice described the task elements and solicited participants for 
the ATSTWG, which subsequently formed and began its work in November 
2012.
    Consistent with the first part of this tasking, the ATSTWG 
developed draft ACS documents that align the aeronautical knowledge 
testing standards with the flight proficiency standards set out in the 
existing Practical Test Standards (PTS). In addition to supporting the 
FAA's effort to improve the relevance, reliability, validity, and 
effectiveness of aeronautical testing and training materials, the draft 
ACS documents support the FAA's goal of reducing fatal general aviation 
accidents by incorporating task-specific risk management considerations 
into each Area of Operation.
    The ATSTWG completed its initial work on the ACS for the private 
pilot certificate and the instrument rating in April, 2013. At the 
request of the ATSTWG, the FAA made these documents available for 
public comment through docket number FAA-2013-0316. The comment period 
for the notice published on April 24, 2013 (78 FR 24289) closed May 24, 
2013. Also at the request of the ATSTWG, the FAA reopened the comment 
period until July 8, 2013.
    During these periods, the ATSTWG received more than 300 comments 
and questions on the draft ACS for the private pilot certificate and 
the instrument rating. The ATSTWG has used these comments to inform and 
refine its continuing work on this project, and has consequently asked 
the FAA to make the revised versions of these documents available for 
on additional period of public review and comment before it completes 
its work in September, 2013.
    In addition, the ATSTWG has completed its initial draft of the 
authorized instructor ACS document. The purpose of the authorized 
instructor ACS is to define the acceptable performance standards for 
instructional knowledge and skill, including the Fundamentals of 
Instructing (FOI) concepts listed in 14 CFR part 61. Consistent with 
its desire for comments to help refine its work, the ATSTWG has asked 
the FAA to make this document available for public comment as well.
    In making this document available, the ATSTWG wishes to note that 
while the draft authorized instructor ACS follows the overall 
conceptual framework developed for the private pilot ACS and the 
instrument rating ACS, its construction reflects fundamental 
differences between the family of pilot certificates/ratings and the 
instructor certificate. The core of the authorized instructor ACS 
addresses practical application of the instructional concepts and 
techniques presented in the traditional FOI. The authorized instructor 
ACS uses appendices to define the acceptable standards for knowledge, 
skill, and risk management in the aeronautical proficiency tasks unique 
to a particular instructor certificate or rating.

[[Page 44620]]

    The ATSTWG also wishes to emphasize that the authorized instructor 
ACS is not intended to be a stand-alone document. Rather, it is 
intended to be used in conjunction with the pilot certificate level or 
rating ACS for which the instructor-applicant seeks authorization to 
provide instruction. Therefore, in addition to mastery of the knowledge 
and skills defined in the authorized instructor ACS, the instructor-
applicant must demonstrate instructional competence for Tasks in the 
ACS for the appropriate certificate level or rating, to include 
analyzing and correcting common learner errors.
    The ATSTWG continues work to complete its remaining assignments. 
These include developing a detailed proposal to realign and, as 
appropriate, streamline and consolidate existing FAA guidance material 
(e.g., handbooks) with each integrated ACS document; and to propose 
methodologies to ensure that knowledge test item bank questions are 
consistent with both the ACS documents and the test question 
development principles set forth in the ARC's recommendations.
    The ACS documents are designed as the foundation for transitioning 
to a more integrated and systematic approach to airman certification 
testing and training. To accomplish this objective and achieve its 
overall safety goals, the ACS documents support the safety management 
system (SMS) framework. SMS methodology provides a systematic approach 
to achieving acceptable levels of safety risk. The ATSTWG is 
constructing ACS, associated guidance, and test item bank question 
components of the airman certification system around the four 
functional components of SMS:
     Safety Policy that demonstrates FAA senior management 
commitment to continually improve safety through enhancements to the 
airman certification testing and training system; specifically, better 
integration of the aeronautical knowledge, flight proficiency, and risk 
management components of the airman certification system;
     Safety Risk Management processes that create a structured 
means of safety risk management decision making to identify, assess, 
and determine acceptable level of risk associated with regulatory 
changes, safety recommendations, or other factors requiring 
modification of airman testing and training materials;
     Safety Assurance processes which allow increased 
confidence on the part of industry and FAA stakeholders in risk 
controls through a continual review of FAA products and the systematic, 
prompt and appropriate incorporation of changes arising from new 
regulations, data analysis, and safety recommendations; and
     Safety Promotion framework to support a positive safety 
culture in the form of training and ongoing engagement with both 
external stakeholders (e.g., the aviation training industry) and FAA 
policy divisions.
    Time permitting, and given the foundational nature of the ACS 
documents and their importance in the ongoing evolution of the FAA's 
airman certification testing and training system, the ATSTWG wishes to 
make subsequent revised draft ACS documents for the private pilot 
certificate and the instrument rating, and of its current initial draft 
of the authorized instructor ACS, available to the public for one 
additional period of review and comment before it completes its work in 
September 2013. The ATSTWG would use the comments it receives to 
complete its work on this project and to develop its final report and 
recommendations.

    Issued in Washington, DC on July 19, 2013.
Lirio Liu,
Designated Federal Officer, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 2013-17782 Filed 7-23-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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